Protests would be unnecessary and play into the hands of those who claimed that Islam stifled free speech, he added.

Baroness Uddin said: "I am worried about the current climate which licenses this type of irresponsible analysis of religion.

"If he did not mean it he should not have said it."

She added: "I hope that we are just going to demand of our politicians that Pope Benedict make some apology."

Controversial speech

The pontiff delivered his speech - which explored the differences between Islam and Christianity, and the relationship between violence and faith - at Regensburg University.

In it, he quoted Emperor Manuel II Paleologos of the Byzantine Empire - the Orthodox Christian empire which had its capital in what is now the Turkish city of Istanbul.

Stressing that the words were the emperor's and not his own he said: "Show me just what Muhammad brought that was new and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached."

MCB secretary general Mohammed Abdul Bari said the emperor's views about Islam were "ill informed"," bigoted" and caused "dismay and hurt" to Muslims.

The British Muslim News newspaper has called for the Pope to apologise and "withdraw the insulting remarks".

Former Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Carey said it should not be assumed the quoted words of the emperor represented "the Pope's beliefs about Islam today".